Steel in the soul: call for solidarity with workers fighting POSCO
Published by MAC on 2006-09-06
Steel in the soul: call for solidarity with workers fighting POSCO
6th September 2006
One trade unioonist has been killed, and many others injured, by police during protests against working conditions at a steel plant in Pohang, South Korea. The owner, POSCO, is among the six largest - and most profitable - steel companies in the world. Most of the workers are employed on sub-contracts, thus enabling the company to wash its hands of responsiblity for the demeaning conditions under which they labour.
A study of heavy metal contamination in the country's nine mining regions has revealed unacceptably high levels of cadmium in agricultual produce. However, since these are "only" locally-consumed, the authorities appear to dismiss the dangers.